Swamiji still hiding; search widens

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Federal authorities say that fugitive Prakashanand Saraswati, also known as Shree Swamiji, has left the border region between Texas and Mexico and could be as far away as South America or Trinidad.

They do not believe, however, that he made it make to his home country.

“I am confident if he was in India we would know it,” said Hector Gomez , a spokesman with the U.S. Marshals Austin office.

Swamiji was convicted in early March when a Hays County jury found him guilty of 20 counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. He skipped out on his sentencing hearing and hasn't been seen since. He was sentenced to 14 years on each count and a $10,000 fine on each count.

U.S. Marshals have widened the scope of their search to Trinidad and Costa Rica and generally Central and South America.

Authorities have received recent credible information from former devotees of Barsana Dahm about Swamiji.